"How my wife managed our money in 2024"

There, I fixed it for ya.

Or a bus, to be honest. Bus-fares are really cheap. When I did not have a family, I traveled all over Europe by bus. So cheap.

Plan ahead. Spend loads of time on preparation.

Buying for more people means buying in bulk, where you would throw that away with fewer people.

The more thrifty people around us plan out their meals for a month, to make sure they can buy in bulk deals, and freeze meals/products for the end of the month. They will use the ingredients of every dish and combine them into other dishes with different spices/herbs/flavors to create some interest. The variety within the season is sometimes a little lacking, but overall it's still balanced over all the seasons.

Frozen seems to be a good choice left or right. Flash-frozen meats, seafood, fish, fruits, and vegetables are considered close to fresh, but usually cheaper. If you have the space at home to store leftovers, so you can buy in bulk.

Netherlands here. We spend roughly €100 a week (€400 a month), which is considered frugal for a family of four eating mostly vegetables, fruits, and proteins. We could go lower if we had less variety in our diet and buy cheaper meats instead of the organic stock and plant-based substitutes we do now.